“I was fully given the option by my coaches and medical staff to halt my freshman season and receive surgery to my groin,” linebacker Mason Monheim tweeted. “I chose to push through and have surgery after the season because I had an obligation to my teammates, coaches and family.”

The Illini have hired a Chicago law firm to investigate allegations on Sunday from former offensive lineman Simon Cvijanovic of Beckman and the staff forcing him to play with knee and shoulder injuries, withholding medical information, attacking another former player at a practice and of using an athletic trainer who was not licensed by the state.

Other players since have come forward to state Beckman mistreated them.

On Wednesday, current and former players became more vocal in their support of Beckman. Some simply tweeted their thankfulness at being granted an Illinois scholarship, while others wrote about football’s culture of playing through pain.

“Major college football is that of a competitive atmosphere,” tweeted defensive lineman Rob Bain, who noted in another tweet that a scope of his injured knee recently was handled properly. “It is not for the faint of heart. If you can’t handle it, get out.”